Tracker - 19th Century Women Writers Challenge

I tend to become obsessive with my reading choices. If at all possible, I will choose titles that fall within my preferred genre, the mystery. In addition, I prefer mysteries by women authors with women protagonists. So, to appease my obsession and to meet this reading challenge was a challenge in every sense of the word. But I had an ace up my sleeve. I was aware of Capitola through one of my favorite mystery series by Joanne Dobson. Dobson edited an edition of this book. Furthermore, I had stumbled upon and purchased but did not read The Hidden Louisa May Alcott: A Collection of Her Unknown Thrillers years ago. In graduate school I obsessively challenged myself to make my assignments meet my reading preferences even preparing a paper featuring the strong girl characters of children’s literature who paved the way for Nancy Drew. In my research I learned of many women authors who wrote, as did Alcott, outside the accepted venues for women and came upon Braddon. Ta Da! I knew I could find titles for this challenge that paved the way for the mysteries that I love today.



1st Completed 19th Century Woman Writer:
Louisa May Alcott
(1832-1888)

(A public domain image)
Gravestone Image included through the inspiration of Sweeney St. George

Louisa May Alcott’s
Behind the Mask or A Woman’s Power
Published in August 1866 in The Flag Of Our Union
Under the pseudonym A. M. Barnard
(The identify of Barnard was not discovered until the 1950’s.)

Behind The Mask was, according to its author, a “blood & thunder” thriller. And it certainly is. Thrillers or Sensation Fiction in 1866 would have shocked Victorian readers with subjects such as murder, divorce, adultery, seduction, and bigamy, subjects shocking for the time when introduced into a domestic scene and which were thought not to occur in respectable middle-class families. At the heart of the novelette is a scheming woman of the world - a gold digger in today’s terms - masked (literally) behind the façade of an innocent, wronged, waif like enchantress. It is giving nothing away to reveal that within the first pages, Jean Muir - the schemer - unmasks her true self:

Still sitting on the floor she unbound and removed the long abundant braids from her head, wiped the pink from her face, took out several pearly teeth, and slipping off her dress appeared herself indeed, a haggard, worn, and moody woman.

And she reveals her true motive:

I will have the best.

Masking is a major literary motif in Mask. A turning point takes place during the performance of tableaux - dramatic scenes created with costumes, makeup, and props - scenes in which Jean assumes the mask of a naïve young girl trying to mask her feelings for Lord Coventry or rather the feelings she wants him to believe she has for him. Masks for masks! A thriller is often defined as having a hero who thwarts the plans of an enemy, climaxing when the hero unmasks the villain. In a sense, Behind the Mask fulfills this requirement. Jean both unmasks and is unmasked. Schemes are revealed both for good and bad. Jean is almost an antihero, lacking traditional admirable qualities yet achieving her goals. The early detective stories of Poe were ratiocinative, moving methodically to ascertain the truth. By that definition, Behind The Mask fits my obsession - the truth was ascertained. The reader always knows the truth, watching as the characters are mesmerized, wanting desperately to enter the plot to rip off the masks, reeling from the means used to reveal the truth to the Coventry’s.

Far from seeming outdated, Behind the Mask held me enthralled until its thrilling end. Alcott must have truly enjoyed writing this. She authored charming, domestic novels while all the while behind the mask of A. M. Barnard she thrilled readers with many, many plots that were far from sweet.



My first - Five Delights!!!!!